Leon James "Lee" DeWyze (born April 2, 1986) is an American singer-songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Leon James "Lee" DeWyze (born April 2, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Mount Prospect, Illinois, and is the winner of the ninth season of American Idol. He has released two independent albums, So I'm Told (2007) and Slumberland (2010). He released "Live it Up" in late 2010.

Lee Dewyze attended an alternative high school but states that music and his teachers were his inspiration to go back to his studies. Before Idol, DeWyze worked as a paint salesclerk. His musical influences include Cat Stevens, Eric Clapton, Ben Harper, and Simon & Garfunkel.

DeWyze's career began when he was 16 or 17, after he met Louis Svitek, owner of WuLi Records, and Ryan McGuire of the Virginia Gentlemen. Lee DeWyze auditioned in Chicago for the ninth season of American Idol with the song "Ain't No Sunshine", which was also covered by Kris Allen. During Hollywood week, his group included Aaron Kelly and Crystal Bowersox, who all made it into the Top 24. During the first week, he performed "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, which was praised by Simon Cowell. The next week he sang "Lips of an Angel", which did not get the same response as his first performance but was good enough to get him into the top 16. His third song, "Fireflies", came as a surprise and was generally liked by the viewers, critics, and the judges.

After making it to the Top 12, DeWyze performed Beast of Burden during The Rolling Stones week. For the Top 11's theme, Billboard #1 Hits, DeWyze performed The Letter by the The Box Tops. The following week DeWyze performed Treat Her Like a Lady impressing mentor Usher and all four judges including Cowell who said that "This is the night that your life may have changed forever." For the Top 9 week Lee performed Hey Jude by The Beatles. His closest friend is his fellow roomate, Andrew Garcia.

Flower Child
Lee DeWyze Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everybody hates you today
A superstar by tomorrow
You gotta put a smile on
Just to hide your sorrow
But you have walked
Where others fear to tread
And there's a light at the end
You gotta reach out your hand

You gotta go find some love
There's a whole lotta love to be got
You're my flower child
And I'm your forget-me-not

Then all your friends disappear
And you feel so alone
And the only thing you're dreaming of
Are memories of hope
So love me today
And forget about tomorrow
Cause you don't have to wear a smile now
And I'll take away your sorrow

You gotta go find some love
There's a whole lotta love to be got
You're my flower child
I'm your forget-me-not

Everybody hates you today
A superstar by tomorrow
And you don't have to wear a smile now
And I'll take away your sorrow

You gotta go find some love
There's a whole lotta love to be got

You're my flower child
And I'm your forget-me-not

Overall Meaning

In Lee DeWyze's song, "Flower Child", the singer addresses someone who is experiencing great hardship and facing the negative opinions of others. The beginning of the song suggests that this person is subject to the fickleness of fame and how, one day, they are hated by everyone and the next day, they are a superstar. The lyrics "You gotta put a smile on just to hide your sorrow" describe how this person is expected to put on a facade even though they are going through immense pain. Despite all of this, the singer acknowledges that this person has experienced things that others have not and encourages them to keep walking towards the light at the end of the tunnel, holding out their hand.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of finding love, even if the person feels alone and their friends have disappeared. The singer assures the listener that it is okay to not be okay and that they will provide comfort, "And I'll take away your sorrow". The repetition of "you gotta go find some love" reinforces the idea that love is the key to overcoming their struggles, and that there is a lot of love to be found.

Overall, "Flower Child" is a song about compassion, encouragement, and finding love even in the midst of pain and chaos. It is a reminder that no matter how difficult life may seem, there is always hope and a way forward.

Line by Line Meaning

Everybody hates you today
People are not liking you presently; you are unpopular.

A superstar by tomorrow
You could become famous and adored quickly.

You gotta put a smile on
You have to pretend to be happy.

Just to hide your sorrow
In order to conceal your sadness and pain.

But you have walked
You have traversed through difficult, dangerous situations.

Where others fear to tread
Where many people avoid venturing because of the risk involved.

And there's a light at the end
There is hope and positivity in the future.

You gotta reach out your hand
You must try to connect with others and ask for support.

You gotta go find some love
You need to seek out and discover love in your life.

There's a whole lotta love to be got
There is an abundance of love to be found everywhere.

You're my flower child
You are a unique, gentle person with a carefree spirit.